Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Targu Frumos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Targu Frumos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,044 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,574 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,105 in Targu Frumos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than Targu Frumos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Targu Frumos 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.87 RON 38.68

-47.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$40.57 RON 177

15.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.86 RON 38.64

-0.23%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.27 RON 9.89

32.16%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.33 RON 5.78

-44.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.15 RON 5.00

-67.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.24 RON 9.79

8.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.78 RON 12.10

29.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.60 RON 6.99

41.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.22 RON 5.34

50.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.63 RON 7.11

37.42%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.93 RON 12.78

-20.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.57 RON 37.36

129.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.04 RON 30.69

-48.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.72 RON 55.5

2.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.01 RON 4.42

235.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.35 RON 5.91

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.48 RON 6.46

62.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.93 RON 8.42

5.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.88 RON 3.82

77.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.89 RON 3.87

68.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.79 RON 3.44

29.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.81 RON 3.51

-39.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.03 RON 26.31

-26.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.10 RON 35.32

133.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.08 RON 4.71

64.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.68 RON 7.31

63.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.67 RON 2.92

108.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$19.94 RON 86.9

-42.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.89 RON 3.88

250.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.61 RON 2.67

63.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.39 RON 32.21

90.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.55 RON 6.76

-12.90%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$28.2K RON 122.9K

-3.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.1K RON 122.4K

17.25%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$125 ฿4,087

$168 RON 731

-25.48%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.57 ฿444

$8.61 RON 37.55

57.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$10.03 RON 43.74

84.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$40.84 RON 178

50.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$19.41 RON 84.6

-13.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.91 RON 25.76

55.50%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$698 ฿22.8K

$428 RON 1,865

63.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,019 RON 30.6K

122.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$73.2 RON 319

-21.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$32.83 RON 143

7.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$73.6 RON 321

53.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$79.5 RON 347

8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$383 RON 1,672

60.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$292 RON 1,271

52.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$586 RON 2,555

249.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$443 RON 1,934

236.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,616 RON 7,047

133.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,484 RON 6,469

78.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.17

-34.76%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $383 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $217 per month, with Targu Frumos cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Frumos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,566 in Targu Frumos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $383 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $428 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,044 in Targu Frumos versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Frumos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Targu Frumos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.